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Punjabis mark Mother Language Day in Pakistan

on Thursday observed International Mother Language Day across Punjab province of Pakistan with songs of noted Punjabi singer Gurdas Mann playing in the background.

Punjabi aficionados across the border are overjoyed over the Lahore high court asking the provincial government to place before the cabinet the draft of Punjab promotion of mother language as compulsory subject at primary level Act-2015 for approval. Punjabis have been demanding making Punjabi as a medium of instructions in schools and make Punjabi compulsory subject till graduation level. The Lahore high court had given the directions on February 12 on a petition by the Punjabi Parchar Society. Earlier, Pakistan's apex court had issued directions to various provinces for taking concrete steps for promotion and use of provincial languages.

"The state told the court that the draft bill for the Act has been prepared and likely to be placed before the cabinet for approval. Acting on it the court disposed of the petition with directions to respondents to take steps to place the draft bill before the cabinet for approval soon and it may be expedient for the provincial government to do so at a convenient time depending on the agenda of the coming cabinet meetings," said Punjabi Parchar Society president Ahmed Raza.

Punjabi is not the medium of instruction in schools from primary to matriculation in Pakistan Punjab despite 44% population speaking Punjabi in the province. It is taught only as elective subject in intermediate, graduation and post-graduation level. Punjabi is written in Shahmukhi script (dialect) in Pakistan whereas in India it is written in Gurmukhi.

Raza said that all provinces of Pakistan except Punjab provide right of education in their respective mother languages but in Punjab such right has been denied by the government, which is injustice with a vast population having Punjabi as its mother language. We are fighting against this injustice."